For the Love of the Game or Money?!?

Let’s remember as I write this blog that I am a diehard, born and bread Yankee fan.
Scott Boras is known as a cut throat agent who gets what his client wants and more. But recently the New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez gave this agent a “gut check.” Now let’s be serious as much of an egomaniac Mr. Boras is and just as much is true of ARod if not more so, the gut check I referred to isn’t nearly as bad as some would say either of them deserve. The hit that Boras and his reputation (some disagree) took is merely nothing compared to his ability to get the job done, I mean he still gets a check for 14 million dollars and this time he was told to stay home for the negotiations. I would rather have seen Alex fire Boras and publicly apologize for the ridiculousness that came from the negotiations and decisions that were made back before the World Series even began. Alex might not have gotten his $350 million that was said to be what he was demanding but instead he receives $27.5 million plus incentives for the next ten years (some call him “Pay-Rod”).
I guess the main concept i am trying to get at is whatever happened to “for the love of the game.” I know it is too much to ask to bring the big business that sport has become back to the reality of the everyday person. Don’t get me wrong sport is a tapped market that has unlimited potential for growth hence the unlimited potential to make more money. I think of the days when I was younger playing little league not thinking of the almighty dollar and the ultimate long term contract. It would be naïve as a young man to grow up and not start to think about providing for one’s self or family but the greed that is blinded by what some call the increase in living costs among other things has become ridiculously absurd.
With player agents and player associations we will never see the necessary change to alter what is now. Though if it were possible to clear the slate and start from scratch one of the more optimal scenarios for player contract would be a base salary that is the same for every player at a particular position with incentives to be earned per game per season. Some say the Torre incentive based contract was an “insult” but even as someone who praises Joe Torre for what he did in pinstripes I still believe on the business side of things it is what have you done for me lately and with the ridiculousness of contracts incentive base contracts seem to be the only true way to leave the absurdness that is the size of contracts from continuing to grow.
As a fan of baseball I welcome Alex back to the pinstripes and the Bronx, as a fan of the Yankees all I ask is that on and off the field you show respect for the game, the uniform, and mostly yourself by striving to become a better athlete, teammate, and ultimately a better person!

"Are Agents Becoming A Problem For Sports?"

With the recent negotiations regarding Alex Rodriguez and his next big contract, it has been brought to my attention that sports agents are a teams worst nightmare. Yes it is their role to negotiate contracts and endorsement deals for their clients, but in recent years, they just seem to be getting in the way. Not only that, but their expectations and requests for salaries are absolutely ludicrous. Where does Scott Boras get off asking for $350 million just to have his client meet with the Yankees? Is he serious? I realize that we are talking about one of baseballs greatest players, but $350 million just to talk with A-Rod, give me a break. Additionally, for Boras to announce the fact that his client would not be renewing his contract while in the middle of the World Series playoffs was completely foolish and unprofessional. I am glad to see that Rodriguez finally came to his senses and met with the Yankees after all, despite the advice given to him by his agent. Still, in today's world of professional sports, we often hear more about the agents than the players themselves.

Although I would prefer not to pick on him, I simply cannot help but to use Scott Boras as a prime example of all that is wrong with sports agents now a day. They are a breed of their own whose main purpose is to obtain as much money for their clients as humanly possible. Their relentless and unorthodox negotiation habits have caused many sports teams to stay away from certain agents who many simply cannot deal with. Nevertheless, my argument simply leans towards the fact that big name agents who seek big money contracts are hurting sports all over. To be a pro athlete, one must not only have the proper skills, but a love for their sport as well. I personally believe that agents today take away from the love of the game. Their focus simply revolves only around money and is much like a game in itself to see who can negotiate the biggest deals. I realize that pro athletes expect to be paid the big bucks, but there is more to life than money, and agents simply make matters worse in their attempts to suck franchises dry financially. Unfortunately, with new athletes constantly turning pro or switching to different teams, agents are always looking for ways to build up bigger and better contracts. Whether it be Daisuke Matsuzaka, A-Rod, Johnny Damon or Jason Varitek, players who sign with agents such as Boras head in the path to which money controls their existence in the sport.

For now, I would like to switch sports and focus on another agent who has become notorious for his greedy ways and often intolerable negotiation strategies. If you guessed that I am talking about Drew Rosenhaus, you guessed right. Although Rosenhous and Boras represent athletes of two different sports, they both share the same characteristics when it comes to being sports agents. Neither of them care about anything but money and simply hurt sports because of this. With Rosenhaus, we see him constantly advising players to stay away from training camps until they receive more money and a better contract. I must say, this makes me absolutely furious, the fact that Rosenhaus would keep an athlete from playing their sport until more money is offered. This is sports we are talking about, not Wall Street, but agents such as Rosenhaus seem to forget this. It is about the love of the game, not the love of the money. These agents tarnish both their clients reputations and that of the sport when they do things like this and it makes not only teams angry, but causes the fans to be unhappy as well.

Maybe I am overreacting a little bit, but I still believe that agents bring bad "PR" to the sport they represent. They take the focus off the player and their talent, and simply let everyone know that they are in it for the money. I think agents such as Boras and Rosenhaus quite often bring out the bad in sports and need to figure out a way to clean up their image. I have seen the movie Jerry Maguire and I know that agents constantly work day and night to succeed in the business. However, when the agent begins to overshadow the player, that is where I draw the line. It is the agents job to be in the background, not the spotlight. So for someone like Boras to announce during the World Series playoffs the fact that A-Rod will not be returning to New York or for Rosenhaus to stop his client from attending practice, I think something must be done to turn things around. Unfortunately, I doubt anything will change in the future and until then, sports agents will simply continue to get in the way every chance they get.